Baby Be Mine

xviii

Tee dragged it out as long as possible at Copter's. In the end, he didn't bother to text Earth. He didn't want to lead him on. He was stupid enough to use it as a bait. He isn't ready for another complication, he'd just had a baby, he was in love with Tae whether he admits it or not, and ─ well, that was it. Despite how much Tae had hurt him, the feeling won't go away overnight.

"Talk to him," was Copter's biggest pearl of wisdom for him that night. Luckily he didn't follow it up with a threat like last time. "Tell him how you feel instead of assuming. The pair of you are totally dense!"

With a heavy heart, Tee went home later that evening. He just wanted to curl up in bed with Phoenix and pretend nothing happened. But then, Tae was waiting for him.

"Waiting up for me?" Tee drawled, his heart pounding. "I'm touched."

Tae stood up. "We didn't get to talk clearly earlier."

Tee opened his mouth to reply only to realise that his answer was for a different question he'd expected-how was your date?-and not to what Tae had actually said. He was lost for words before saying, "Go on"

"I'm just going to say it straight, because if I don't do it now then I might end up never doing it and-" Tae began to pace. "I don't want you dating other people. I want more than anything for Phoenix to be my baby. I'm in love with you, Tee." The words flew from Tae's mouth flawlessly.

Tee knew his mouth must be gaping wide enough to catch flies. "But-I heard Bas ask you if you'd still want me if Phoenix wasn't yours and you shook your head."

"I was having a panic attack, so what I was doing with my head doesn't have anything to do with my actual thoughts! Is that why you've been so distant the last couple of weeks?"

Tee felt his face heat up. "You, Kim and Godt though, you're still... I saw you going into Godt's room and Godt said they were waiting for you!"

Tae furrowed his brows in confusion. "What the bloody fuck? I never... Oh, no, I think I know when was that, and believe me, there was absolutely no shagging. Trust me, please." He chewed his lip and said, "Kim and I talked about the sex thing earlier actually and we both realised that since the foursome started, he and I just stopped the casual thing we had going. I never joined them without you there before or after we stopped doing the group thing."

"Can we just go back to the part where you're in love with me?" Tee felt his heart rate quicken and the smile feels permanently plastered on his face. He knows Tae was telling the truth since he is a terrible liar. He took a step closer to Tae who had stopped pacing and was watching him with hungry eyes. How had Tee missed this? "You really mean it?"

Tae nodded, stepping closer and wrapping Tee in his embrace. "I really do."

"What about Phoenix?"

"Him too. Doesn't matter who turns out to be his father."

Tee was grinning so hard his face hurt. "Just us from now on? Me, you and Phoenix?"

"Just the three of us."

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"I'm scared to open it." Tee held the result tightly in his hand, almost crumpling it.

"Seriously?" Kimmon huffed, bouncing Phoenix on his knee. The six-month-old threw his chubby arms in the air and giggled. "You're really worried about the result?"

Godt casually slung an arm around Kimmon and chuckled. "Have you seen your son lately?"

Tee flushed. "Of course I have, but how can I be sure that his face won't resemble someone else as he grows up? He might be a carbon copy of Tae but what if somehow Kim or you look the same when you were younger?"

"Look Tee, Godt, and I have accepted the fact that Phoenix is Tae's. We're happy to be the cool uncles, right kiddo?" Kimmon lifted Phoenix's t-shirt and gave him raspberries on his tummy earning another bout of giggles.

"Oh for the love of, give it here," Bas said, snatching the paper from Tee. He winked at Tae who sat silently beside Tee, feeling as nervous as he was. The what-ifs running in his mind about Phoenix parentage. He wouldn't love him any less, he knew that, but it would complicate matters. Bas skimmed the result, his face splitting into a smile as he read aloud, "Parent number one, Thanapon Jarujitranon-Kreepolrerk, parent number two, Darvid Jarujitranon-Kreepolrerk."

Tae felt the tension leave his body and the death grip Tee had on his hand loosened. "Well, it's good to have proof. At least no one else can claim my son as theirs" he said, leaning over and kissing Tee's cheek.

They had an intimate ceremony two months after they finally got their act together, Tae proposing to Tee when he picked him on his shift in front of his colleagues. Phoenix was in Tae's arms while he had a bouquet of flowers on the other with the ring box tucked in it. It had taken Tee about half a second to accept. At the wedding, Boone had even smiled at Tae, which was a first and called him 'Tae' instead of Darvid.

"Actually, we didn't want to say it until the results were in," Godt started, taking Kimmon's hand. "We're having a baby. Kim's pregnant!"

The small gathering around the kitchen table at Tae and Tee's house erupted in congratulations. Tae leaned into Tee and whispered, "Can't wait for you to be pregnant again."

Tee leaned against him and said, "Already am."

Tae could feel the start of his second-ever panic attack.

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